Hearing loops are quickly gaining ground as one of the best solutions for the hearing impaired that have been created in the last twenty years. To be clear, it is not that the technology is new; simply that they have been combined in a new way in recent years to create something even more useful. These two part devices are now being implemented throughout the world. That is why we are going to explore where they are being used, what a hearing loop is, and how it works.
Where You Can Find Them
Currently, it seems as though the most common places for these hearing loops to be used is in meeting rooms, concert halls, and places of worship. These are all placed that have a high population of people who suffer from hearing impairment. Another area that they are being used in, more than ever, is mass transit. Taxis and buses across the nation are using hearing loops so that they driver and the rider can communicate more easily, making public transit much easier for people with hearing aids.
What Makes A Hearing Loop?
Hearing loops use two different pieces of technology together to make a hearing device that projects sounds throughout an entire room. For example, one part of the hearing loop is the cable that is channeled throughout a room, running along the outermost edge most times. It is typically not visible to the public, and runs along the base or in the wall. It collects and transmits sound data. The other part of the hearing loop is the receiver on the individual that is using them, most often in a hearing aid that can pick up and interpret the sound that was picked up elsewhere in the room.
How Does It Work?
Hearing loops work by having the receiver part, along the cable, picks up sounds at some point inside of the room. Most often, the sound receiver is placed where a speaker or announcer is going to be in the room so that the most important information is channeled through. From there the sound is turned into an electronic signal that can only be picked up and interpreted by a special telecoil. These instruments were used for phones in the mid to late 90’s before being implemented in another very important device: hearing aids
Most hearing aids can turn the telecoil on at will, allowing them to pick up on the information that was being sent through the hearing loop. The result is that the person will be able to hear clear sounds without having to worry about too much interference or fluctuations in hearing ability. Overall, this is a great device that should see greater implementation in the days to come.